Dedicated to the study of the Victorian period in Britain, the Association's membership is comprised primarily of teachers, scholars, and students of Victorian history, literature, art history, music, philosophy, and religion—specialists and generalists alike. Although centered in the Midwest, we welcome members and participants from all regions of the United States and abroad.

Since its initial meeting in 1977, the Midwest Victorian Studies Association's principal purpose has been to foster new understandings and appreciations of the Victorians by hosting an annual conference, held each April at a location in the greater Midwest, and by otherwise encouraging and facilitating scholarly exchange, collaboration, and publication. In past years our conferences have featured self-created Victorian “entertainments,” as well as sessions on Victorian art, music, history and literature. The year’s Call for Papers is announced each June, and conference proposals are due in October. We offer a prize for the best graduate student conference paper and an annual dissertation award, the Arnstein Fellowship. The 2014 conference will take place in Detroit, Michigan.

We are in the process of compiling an online library of photographs, conference programs, memorabilia, etc., and ask that you please pardon our dust while we work to update the MVSA website.

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